Courtesy of Framingham State Sports Information

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – Senior running back Melikke Van Alstyne and offensive coordinator Aynsley Rosenbaum are to be honored by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston at the club’s annual Bob Whelan College Football Awards Night on Thursday, January 9th.  Van Alstyne is the co-winner of the Joe Zabilski Award, while Rosenbaum will receive the Division II/III Assistant Coach of the Year Award.

The Joe Zabilski Award recognizes New England’s top player in Division II and III on each side of the ball.  Van Alstyne is the co-winner of the Zabilski Award for offense for the second straight season sharing the honor with Merrimack College quarterback Joe Clancy.  Stonehill’s Brian Harrington is the winner on the defensive side of the ball.

Van Alstyne culminated his outstanding career rushing for 1,620 yards on 308 carries with 19 touchdowns, while making 14 catches for 106 yards with a score.  Van Alstyne has racked up multiple honors this season including being selected All-New England by the  New England Football Writers for the third time as well as being a first team All-MASCAC selection.  Van Alstyne finished his career with over 6,000 yards rushing, a feat only two other Division III New England backs have achieved, and 400 points.  

His 6,145 career rushing yards on 1,131 carries place him first on the All-Time Division III New England rushing leaders list and his 408 points land him fourth.  Van Alstyne, who holds nine Framingham State offensive records, will be participating in the 2013 National Bowl on Sunday, December 8th at Florida International with the top players from across the country.

Rosenbaum just completed his 6th season as the Rams offensive coordinator and during that time the Rams are 45-20 (.692 winning percentage) with four Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Titles, two New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division Titles, an NEFC Championship, a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and an ECAC Northeast Bowl title.

Rosenbaum’s offenses have set six offensive team records and his players have set 20 individual records during his tenure.  The team offensive records include – largest margin of victory (56), points in a game (65), points in a season (398), rushing yards in a game (402) and total yards in a game (658).  Rosenbaum has coached a 1,000 yard rusher in each of his six seasons in addition to coaching 24 All-Division or All-Conference selections on the offensive side of the ball since 2008.  

Rosenbaum has also coached three Joseph Zabilski Award winners, a Nason Award winner, six New England Football Writers All-New England Selections, two NEFC Bogan Division Offensive Rookies of the Year, an NEFC Bogan Division Offensive Lineman of the Year, two NEFC Bogan Division Offensive Players of the Year, an ECAC Division III North Offensive Player of the Year, a third team All-American selection by D3football.com as well as multiple D3football all-region selections.

The 2013 Rams finished the season 9-2 and were the champions of the MASCAC in the inaugural season of MASCAC football. The Rams made their second straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Football Championship after earning an at-large bid.